visitors

Our eldest came to visit for the second time, over the weekend. The first visit was 19 years but this was just a couple of days.

While he slept off his half term in a familiar bed, we went to visit the boat. No time to sail unfortunately, we just had time to re-inflate the tender's air chambers, check on the mooring and watch the water-world go by for ten minutes. A neap tide was just turning from ebb to flood, water fowl of all sorts were lining the shore. It was one of those slightly mad, cool, breezy and bright mornings that characterise this time of year. Although motor bound, we could feel the power in the passing sails of radical dinghies and enjoy the slight waves that re-doubled the glare of the low sun.

On the boat we had a good sighting of a black swan, following a more usual mute around. I had seen them fly over together from the tender and assumed, while I wrinkled my irises against the light, that the slightly grey bird was a signet that hadn't quite whitened up yet. On the lake it was obviously the different species; very black, very red beak.